Acting 101
by Excited-Insomniac
Summary: Katara is mad at Zuko, oh no! Can he turn an innocent acting exercise into a bid for redemption? Zutara, AU.


Acting 101

Every so often, Gyatso likes to dedicate the last 20 minutes of class to a random theater game. He always asks if anyone has a game to volunteer or request, and there have been a few good ones done. But today, I surprise everyone by saying I'd like to lead. Everyone knows I'm only taking Acting 101 to fulfill a last-minute art requirement I forgot about, but this has been my plan for the past week, and it's definitely worth seeming like an engaged student for once in my life to pull it off.

"It's a pretty straight-forward character building exercise," I say as I get up on the stage and face the class. They're paying various degrees of attention: Aang and Ty Lee are rapt, Haru and Jin are sucking face in the back, and Katara is studiously ignoring me in favor of her nails.

"It's a partner game, so I'd like a volunteer from the audience." Aang and Ty Lee's hands shoot into the air. "Perfect. Katara, please join me on the stage." Aang and Ty Lee look put out.

Katara glances at me, her blue eyes sharp and cold. But join me she does, unwilling to risk the 60% that participation makes up in our grades.

"Alright," I say, aware that I have already begun performing. "Here's the idea: you're each inventing a character, and they have some sort of relationship to each other, be it friends, family, whatever. You're not allowed to talk about it beforehand. Start out standing facing each other so that the shorter person can reach your shoulders. Katara?" I turn to face her and she shoots me a resentful glare before complying, placing her hands beside my neck before dropping them hurriedly, as if touching something slimy. Which would pretty much sum up her feelings for me right about now.

"Katara and I will do a demo round, and then we can all split into pairs and try it out."

I turn to her. Her face is stony.

"My character is in love with your character," I say clearly. She does something between a grimace and a sneer as Aang and Ty Lee clap and whistle.

"Good for your character," she shoots back. "My character doesn't give a—care." She corrects herself at the last minute, glancing at Gyatso, who is watching us with what seems to be high good humor.

I stepped out of the scene to face the audience. "Katara is giving a good example of what _not_ to do," I say. "The whole point of this game is to get to know the characters." I step back to face her. "My character is in love with your character," I repeat, looking right at her furious eyes.

"My character thinks your character should go jump off a cliff and leave her alone," she grits out.

I step out of the scene. "Katara's character seems to be very angry with mine. Katara, please tell the audience why your character is so angry."

I can practically feel her shaking with rage as she steps up next to me. I know what I'm doing is patently dangerous—no one except Sokka knows exactly what happens when Katara's temper really gets stoked, and he doesn't tell anyone—it's possible she could spontaneously combust, or rip me to shreds, or burst into tears. Or all of the above. Somehow.

"As a matter of fact, my character is _not_ angry with Zuko's character. My character feels nothing for Zuko's character. My character is simply reacting appropriately to certain things Zuko's character has done to mine recently."

I turn to face her, but she stares fixedly at the back wall and her face is stiff and blank.

"What has my character done that your character is reacting to?" I ask, though I know the answer well.

"Oh, I don't know," she says, and her voice is oddly high. She still doesn't look at me. "Does your character kissing another girl sound familiar?"

"My character never kissed another girl," I say quietly, unsure of how she will react. "Another girl kissed him."

She turns to me, eyes blazing. "Don't split hairs! I know what I saw!"

I look at the audience. Jin and Haru have quit making out, I notice, and are watching with something between horror and glee. "Katara is breaking character," I say. Thin ice…

"My character would shot your character in the face if she had a gun right now," she spits.

"My character pushed the other girl away before he even knew yours was there," I tell her. "Your character knows what she saw." Her own words.

She turns with a snarl and stalks across the stage, but stops before exiting altogether. I know her well enough to understand what she is feeling: she hates me for doing this in front of an audience, where leaving before the 'scene' is over would make her the loser.

"My character loves your character," I repeat softly. "I would never do that to you."

Her stiff shoulders slump abruptly, and she turns to face me from across the stage.

"My character thinks this game is dumb," she mutters, and I am forgiven.

A/N: Shoop-da-woop, Zutara!

Zuko's so clever, making Katara face him in an environment she can't escape. ;)

I imagine them to be late in high school for this…. Zuko's a senior (scrambling to fill graduation requirements, lol) and Katara's a sophomore or junior.

Is Jin/Haru called Hajin? Or Jinru? O_o Anyway, I ship them.

Thanks for reading! E.I. signing out.


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